Well today is Election Day here in the U.S., our annual opportunity to practice democracy (insert joke here about continuing to practice until we get it right). Here's hoping all those who are registered get out and vote, and that the process proceeds smoothly.

You know, this is most significant sign that the US government is more "European" than it used to be. I look at the "collation" governments in European parliaments and think what a pain it must be to have to cater to, at least in part, these small, outlying, politic parties who manage to get elected seats because you need to form a majority. The "effectively two party" system in the US avoids that. But the reality is that's no longer true. Both the Rs and Ds have members calling themselves Rs and Ds who really belong in some other small, outlying political party. But they can't get elected doing that, so they integrate themselves into the Rs and Ds. This is what Boenher, and to a lesser degree, the Ds are having to deal with.